The following invention is directed to a gasification reactor vessel, provided at its upper end with a downwardly directed burner, provided with supply conduits for an oxidizer gas, a carbonaceous feed and a moderator gas, a combustion chamber in the upper half of the vessel provided with a product gas outlet at its bottom end and an opening for the outlet of the burner at its top end.
EP-A-168128 describes a gasification reactor provided at its upper end with a downwardly directed burner. The reactor is also provided with a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is made up from a refractory grade lining. A product gas outlet at the bottom end of the combustion chamber is fluidly connected with a diptube, which diptube is partly submerged in a water bath located at the lower end of the reactor vessel. In use solids, including particles of ash, char and unconverted carbonaceous feed are removed from the product gas by contact with the water bath. The solids are removed from the reactor via a valve located at the bottom of the reactor.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,968,212 describes a gasification reactor provided at its upper end with a downwardly directed burner. The reactor is also provided with a combustion chamber. The combustion chamber is made up from a refractory grade lining. The product gas leaving the opening in the lower end of the combustion chamber may enter a lower part of the reactor which part is provided with a waste heat boiler.
A problem with the above reactors is that the refractory lining has a short life time. Especially under the high temperature conditions and when ash containing feeds are gasified. The temperature issue may be addressed by cooling the interior of the combustion wall. The below publications describe various manners how this is achieved.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,037,473 describes a gasification reactor provided at its upper end with a downwardly directed burner. The reactor is also provided with a combustion chamber. The wall of the combustion chamber is cooled by cooling water which flows through a spirally wound conduit within the wall of the combustion chamber.
US-A-2001/0020346 discloses a gasification reactor provided at its upper end with a downwardly directed burner. The reactor is also provided with a combustion chamber. The wall of the combustion chamber comprises an arrangement of vertical and parallel-arranged tubes placed on the interior of the reactor wall. The tubes run from a common lower arranged distributor to a higher arranged common header, the distributor is provided with a cooling water supply conduit and the header is provided with a discharge conduit for warm water or steam.
A problem with a water-cooled wall of the combustion chamber is that it is sensitive to process upsets. For example in case no fresh water is supplied to the cooling conduits overheating will damage the conduits.
The present invention provides a solution for the above problem.